Tennis courts back in play in Whitby thanks to $100,000 sponsorship deal

Nothing but love for tennis enthusiasts in Whitby after Tennis Canada and the National Bank of Canada served up $100,000 in sponsorship money for improvements to courts at Folkstone Park and Palmerston Park.

The town opened an upgraded tennis court at Folkstone Park on McKinney Drive Tuesday, with the new and improved Palmerston Park courts set for re-opening next month.

The improved tennis courts will help meet the immediate and future recreation needs of a rapidly growing community and give tennis players, new and seasoned, a space to socialize, stay active, and make community connections, said Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy.

“This investment in our community parks is a win for residents and a great example of how we can deliver important infrastructure improvements in a fiscally responsible way. By securing $100,000 through the National Bank Play Your Court program, we’re able to renew aging tennis courts at Palmerston Park and Folkstone Park while reducing the impact on local property taxpayers,” Roy said. “Public-private partnerships like this help us stretch every dollar further and continue enhancing the recreational spaces that help our residents stay active.”

Upgrades include new asphalt playing surfaces with professional tennis court coatings and line markings, as well as new nets, and signage.

The upgrades were made possible thanks to a $100,000, 10-year sponsorship partnership with Tennis Canada and National Bank of Canada under the bank’s Play Your Court program, along with $310,338 from the town’s capital funds.

“We are delighted to join the Town of Whitby and our program partner National Bank in celebrating the opening of these revitalized tennis courts at Folkstone Park and Palmerston Park,” said Tennis Canada CEO Grant Ziv. “At Tennis Canada, it remains a priority of ours to create the environments and conditions for more Canadians to play by increasing accessibility. Through projects like this one, we are able to make that a reality, ensuring the proven physical and mental health benefits of tennis can be experienced by more communities across the country at a time when our sport is experiencing tremendous growth.”